Nebraska is Colorado's archrival in the fall, but it appears Baylor has replaced the Cornhuskers this summer. As the conference landscape begins to tremor this week before a possible earthquake, Baylor is trying to elbow inside Colorado for possible membership in the Pac-10.

Powerful Baylor alumni said today that the Texas State Legislature is looking into ways to help their alma mater.

As Kip Averitt, who retired in March after 17 years as a state senator and is a 1977 Baylor grad, told The Denver Post: "If it's one or the other, I'd rather it be us than you."

Baylor officials began looking into options when reports surfaced last week that the Pac-10 is considering expanding with up to six Big 12 schools: Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Colorado.

Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott refuses to divulge any schools, but Baylor would be the lone Big 12 South member not invited. Baylor has been a conference rival of Texas and Texas A&M since 1914.

"I think there's a desire to have regional participation in all of the athletics," said State Rep. Jim Dunnam (D-Waco), Baylor class of '86. "If you don't have Texas and Texas A&M and Tech and Baylor playing one another, you lose the regional nature of your conference.

"It's fun to play Ohio State every now and then but people come in day in, day out for that regional competition."

Texas government has a history of helping its in-state schools. In 1994 when the Big Eight officially absorbed the Southwest Conference to form the Big 12, governor Ann Richards, a Baylor grad, is believed to have put pressure on the Longhorns to insist on Baylor's inclusion.

In emails acquired by The Dallas Morning News on Sunday, Austin lobbyist and Baylor regent Buddy Jones urged supporters in the legislature to help Baylor.

"We need to stop any bleeding that this PAC 10 offer might have caused for Baylor quickly," Jones wrote. "It is imperative that whatever happens the four Texas schools (and hopefully OU and OSU) agree to stick together."

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Jones added, "My guess is that Colorado hasn't taken enough broadside hits to sink their boat yet and they may well be on the invite list. I hope I'm wrong. But there's still time left to change the scoreboard. We aren't through."

Conceivably, the legislature could withhold public funds to Texas if it doesn't convince the Pac-10 to include Baylor. The state created the Permanent University Fund in 1876 to benefit the University of Texas and later Texas A&M.

Baylor, as a private school, gets no public funding. Baylor is hoping the Pac-10 and the Longhorns see the value in not separating the state's four Big 12 schools.

"We're on the same academic tier as Colorado," Averitt said. "Both of our schools are at the top of the spectrum. That can't be an issue. But for us down here, we're kind of a family. We like to compete against our family.

"It's nothing against Colorado at all. We like to travel up to Colorado from time to time. It's a beautiful state. But when it comes to conference realignment, it's a huge deal to Baylor University and central Texas economics."

Colorado's appeal to the Pac-10, besides a closer proximity, is it's a member of the prestigious American Association of Universities. While Baylor is not, it's considered one of the best academic institutions in Texas.

Athletically, Baylor boasts the most Big 12 championships outside of Texas and Nebraska. Baylor officials quickly point out that Colorado does not carry non-revenue sports that are popular in the Pac-10 such as softball, baseball and men's tennis.

"We think that also should be a consideration," Averitt said. "We're across the board."

This fight may be only so much saber rattling if Nebraska and Missouri decide not to leave the Big 12 for the Big Ten. The conference gave the schools until Friday to decide.

If they leave, Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said last week the Longhorns will not stay in a 10-team conference. The Pac-10 could then lure them away along with five other Big 12 schools. If Colorado isn't one of them, it would join Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State as Big 12 teams without a conference.

Many in the Big 12 believe the conference will remain intact if Nebraska and Missouri stay. They may have to if the Big Ten does not offer invites which, as of Monday, it hadn't.

In the meantime, Nebraska officials are keeping mum. The Nebraska Board of Regents meet Friday and Saturday in Lincoln, but conference realignment is not on the current agenda although it could be added.

For Nebraska to change conferences, athletic director Tom Osborne must make a recommendation, chancellor Harvey Perlman must agree to it and the board ratify it.

Last week in the Big 12 Spring Meetings, Osborne mentioned his displeasure with how he feels the Big 12 caters to the South Division.

"Nebraska has been (angry) ever since Texas wanted to bring the academic level up," Dunnam said. "Since then, lo and behold, Nebraska has not been as competitive in football."

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